


A New Objective

by vecchiofastidioso



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, Spoilers, Trespasser DLC spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 22:45:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4763813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vecchiofastidioso/pseuds/vecchiofastidioso
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of the Exalted Council, the Inquisition has a new fate. The Inquisitor must choose a new direction, what to do in the wake of new knowledge. All it takes is a little nudging from a trusty Dwarf. Major spoilers for Trespasser DLC, and rated Teen And Up for swearing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Objective

**Author's Note:**

> Oops, this is so short. There might be subsequent chapters, but I had to get this off my chest in the wake of what the fuck happens with Solas.

         Back at Skyhold, it was business as usual in the wake of the Exalted Council. Well...business as usual, with added fussing from Josephine over the loss of the Inquisitor's arm.  
         Ze'ev sipped tea as she leaned against the balcony, sighing softly. The loss didn't pain the Elf as much as Josephine, Cullen, and Cassandra might think. She didn't miss the Anchor. She could still wield magic or a knife. The magical amputation of her arm left no pain, and the healing was almost instantaneous once she returned through the eluvian.  
         Her musings were interrupted by a knock on the door at the bottom of the stairs up into the Inquisitor's private space. Since a person would have to climb four prior flights of stairs in order to knock on that final door, they were probably serious about seeing the mage.  
         "Enter."  
         A Dwarven messenger came up the stairs and bowed as Ze'ev re-entered the room. "The Viscount of Kirkwall is here to see you, Your Worship."  
         "Varric?" Ze'ev's brow furrowed. "I thought he was already on his way to Kirkwall."  
         "Benjamin's got a chest cough and fever, so Freckles and I decided to stay here for a little while. You've some of the best healers here, Comtesse Lavellan."  
         A grin spread across Ze'ev's dusky face. "Varric! Oh, sorry: _Viscount Tethras_."  
         Varric waved his hand dismissively while the messenger retreated down the stairs. "What are titles between old friends? Besides: I'm pretty sure 'Inquisitor' still trumps 'Viscount'."  
         The Elf shook her head and gestured towards the couch, snagging a chair and dragging it over for herself. "I still find your appointment quite amusing. You, who avoids the Merchants Guild like the plague, are responsible for an entire city-state."  
         "I have a great deal of help," the storyteller protested even as he made himself comfortable. But there was a shrewd gleam to his eyes as he met Ze'ev's gaze, hitting the Elf with a sudden sense of apprehension. "Which you should too. What happened with Chuckles, Ze'ev."  
         Shit. The use of her name, not some playful invocation of a myriad of titles she now had, indicated Varric was serious. But his voice was gentle and warm. If he talked like this to the Champion on a regular basis, Aubrey was a lucky woman.  
         It was virtually impossible to lie to Varric though. The Dwarf was practically the master of prevarication, after all. The Inquisitor could only sigh and sink back in her chair, picking at her empty sleeve. "What do you want me to say? He plans to stay away until he can 'fix things', and will destroy the world if that's what he has to do to merge the Beyond and our world together again out of a misguided sense of what's best for the People. Er, for Elves."  
         "And that's fucked up. Don't know about you, but I like living. And?"  
         She shrugged with a scowl. "And?"  
         Shit. He was getting this whole fatherly thing down pat. Ze'ev remembered receiving that patient _you're getting there, but keep going_ look from her own father. "And what are you going to do about it? If not as the Inquisitor, but as Ze'ev Lavellan. You and Chuckles weren't exactly discreet, kiddo. Andraste's ass, even Cassandra could see the sizzling looks between you two! And you aren't really the type to lay down and let shit roll over you."  
         "Well, maybe I am now."  
         "Bullshit."  
         "Oh, really?"  
         Ze'ev suddenly understood Cassandra's frequent itches to punch smug looks off Varric's face as he expounded upon that declaration. "If you were, you would have disbanded the Inquisition at the end of the Exalted Council and been on the first ship back to the Free Marches with us. But you've kept things going. And I know for a fact you have agents out searching for more of Chuckles' people, and for that blighted Elf."  
         "That could be for form's sake though, Varric. Maybe I simply wanted to thumb my nose at all the shemlen who wanted me powerless once they felt they had no more use for me, once they felt brave enough to put me down."  
         "You would have just been a rather terrifying person and ripped them a new one if that was the case. No...you have a plan." Varric folded his hands over his stomach and lifted his eyebrows questioningly. "So: what are you going to do?"  
         She sighed and pushed herself to her feet so she could pace. "I do not know. I could quite cheerfully punch that idiot in the face right now. Or castrate him. Maybe I should catch him and castrate him, get his head out of his ass and seeing clearly. His mind is stuck a thousand years in the past and not seeing how Elves are changing. We do not need his idea of what will help us! We can become equals to Dwarves and humans under our own power, even if it takes longer than he would like. And yet..." Her words lost power, trailing off into silence.  
         "You still love him."  
         Ze'ev flopped back down in her chair with a heavy sigh. "Yes. I want to throttle him, yet I want to kiss him. He infuriates me, but still makes my heart race." _And makes my body react._ "I cannot ignore the horror of what he plans on doing, 'if necessary', but he claims there is no changing his mind."  
         Varric still sat there with raised eyebrows, those damnable golden eyes steady. "So: what are you going to do? Come on, Your Inquisitorialness."  
         "I will find him. And if he will not listen to me...I will kill him, to save the world and him from himself."


End file.
